Don't Underestimate

Chapter 1: The End is the Beginning

Sherlock wiped away his tears onto the right arm of his trench coat. As he walked out of the plane, a blast of strong wind came from his left, resulting in him pulling up the collar on his coat, “Where am I? Why am I surrounded by drunk, love affair idiots? Oh yeah, I forgot…. I am back in my home city: London.”

John walked away from Mary and towards Sherlock with a cute smile, opening his arms to hug him, “I missed you, glad you weren’t sent away. Hope you learnt your lesson now Sherlock, murder is not the answer to anything.”

“Yes, yes John, I am glad to be back as well. I was worried about how you were going to survive without me. He was a bad man though, tricking us all including me but I did everyone a favour. No time for a warm welcome and hugs, there is a case to be solved. After all, the game is back on, John Watson.”

Once Sherlock had finished talking to John, a Black Jaguar XFR with the registration plate BTS HJ1 pulled up next to them. Automatically, the door opened and Sherlock tucked in his coat. He climbed into the sleek car while John helped Mary in, being careful because of her baby bump. Sherlock knew his older brother, Mycroft, had something to do with this. The car journey was unusually quiet because John didn’t want to start a conversation in case Sherlock was thinking. Nobody knows exactly what goes on in that mind of his, however that’s what made him superior to everyone else. It felt like they were in the vehicle for hours on end but eventually, they arrived at a place that looked familiar to John.

Escorted, by two tall, tanned, buff men, one with dark brown hair and the other jet black, they were led into a vintage building, which was known as the Diogenes Club. There were books around the edge of the room on tall, light brown shelves. In front of these shelves, there were wealthy pensioners sitting in armchairs, holding newspapers that were too big for them. John remembered this place as if his last visit had only been yesterday. The two men left, John and Mary took the opportunity to scan their surroundings. In the meantime, Sherlock deduced the room and wondered what his older brother exactly wanted. He hoped that it wasn’t a waste of his time, like it had been when he got told to find a missing bunny called “Bluebells”.

Moments later, the two men returned through the double doors, which contrasted well with the rest of the building. Sherlock went into his brother’s office first, followed by John and Mary. In unison, the two men shut the chestnut coloured double doors before standing in front of them with their hands hidden behind their backs.

Mycroft sat, in his matt black office chair, facing the window. Once he had acknowledged their presence, he turned away from the beautiful view so that he was looking at his visitors. He coughed, clearing his throat, “Ah, Sherlock, John, Mary. Welcome to my office. Sherlock, I hope that you have learnt your lesson now.” Sherlock rolled his eyes upwards, hearing the same words John had said exactly the same earlier. “Now, I can’t believe that I am saying this but I need your help, younger brother. Crimes are being committed, but there’s something Scotland Yard has never seen before, nor has the British Government. I would go and find it out myself but you know that I am too busy these days. So, we want you, John and Greg to solve it. Will you, Sherlock, crack another case?”

 Sherlock positioned his hands onto his chin, stood up and walked over to the window. He studied outside, admiring the way the sun was shining and the colour of the sky, while Mycroft anxiously fiddled with his fingers. Slowly, Sherlock turned around after debating the idea in his mind briefly, “Okay, I will, considering that you have helped me. I owe you. So, who is my client?”

 “I don’t know,” Mycroft admitted, looking down in shame.

Instantly, Sherlock’s eyes darted from Mycroft and he gritted his teeth, speaking in a sinister way, “I don’t deal with unknown clients, who is it my client.”

Pouring whiskey into his glass, Mycroft spoke in a nervous tone, “Sherlock, I am sorry but I honestly don’t know. This is one of the reasons why I haven’t seen these crimes before because… I don’t know who it is. However, I do have a file on the crimes he has committed recently, over the last few weeks to be exact. But he is deadly and when I say deadly, I mean it. Only the one and only consulting detective can solve this case with his trusty partner in crime, Dr John Watson.”

A smirk played on his lips as he took a sip of his drink. With raised eyebrows, he placed it down and handed a thick paper file to Sherlock’s pale hands. Sherlock opened the criminal’s file, his eyes darting backwards and forth between every sheet of white paper. All of them contained black squiggles and pictures that were pasted neatly in an organized arrangement. As he was studying one of the images of the crime the cunning mastermind had planned, Sherlock circled Mycroft, with the paper held firmly in his grip. “Ah, well I can see why you thick idiots are out smartened by this one criminal you don’t even the name of,” Sherlock declared almost mockingly, “I will take this case on, Mycroft, but I don’t want you or your men intruding this investigation.”

Mycroft snarled, “But Sherlock, I am the smarter one and we all know that.”

Sherlock sniggered, “You’re really not.”  

Mycroft opened his mouth to speak but Sherlock’s sinister, piercing greeny blue eyes stopped him from continuing further. Instead, he nodded his head sincerely, and signalled the two guards to open the double doors they had entered through.

Everyone left in an orderly line with the two security men being at the end. They left the building and wandered over to where the Jaguar XFR they arrived in was parked. The pair opened one of the shiny black doors each for John and Mary Watson, while Sherlock aggressively forced his own open. In canon, the men shut them and walked away parallel next to each other while the Jaguar pounced through the air, pulling away from the driveway and onto the road.